Pardew: Kinnear’s only here for the financial side of transfers

Joe Kinnear welcoming new signing Loic Remy to the club.

Speaking in another ‘exclusive’ interview with Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct News, Alan Pardew was repeating his protestations that Joe Kinnear was only brought into the club to work on the financial side of transfers like Derek Llambias before him.

Anxious to reassure worried fans that he is still in charge of all football matters (please kill us), and that Kinnear was only brought in to make life easier for himself and Mike, Pardew explained:

“It’s quite simple really, it’s not too different to what we had before with Derek Llambias. Mike and Joe work the finances of the football club. Therefore I have to make sure, with Joe, that we’re approaching players in the right financial bracket for us and that we’re doing the right amount of scouting.

“Joe’s job is to co-ordinate that and put it all together. So he has my input, he has Graham Carr’s views and also Mike’s opinion as well in terms of the finance.

“Basically, he gives me a ballpark figure of the sort of player we can perhaps afford and me and Graham give him the targets we think it works for. Joe then works towards finding a solution and it’s as simple as that.

“There’s a lot of mediating between the owner, agents, and the owner of the other football club that needs to be done and, in truth, it’s difficult for the manager to find the time for it because there’s the media responsibilities, the team and with my staff I’m managing about 50 people at this training ground.

“It’s not easy and transfers, particularly what we’re trying to do in finding a striker, is possibly one of the hardest things to do in terms of co-ordination and time and we want to get someone in before the start of the season but, then again, we might not.”

As I mentioned, this isn’t the first time Pardew has been speaking on about the delineation of roles between himself and his boss. He doth protest too much and has been about as subtle as a brick in the face in his attempts to confine the role of Kinnear in public. This is what the Wikipedia has to say about this kind of “turf war” in it’s entry on Directors of Football:”

“There are many examples of tensions arising between director and manager, often due to questions over the remit and powers of the two positions; particularly with regard to control over transfer policy. This had led to many well publicised and often, highly damaging disputes within clubs.”

As you can see from the picture above, whilst Alan’s getting on with all the important football stuff, Joe Kinnear has been keeping himself busy signing and having his photo taken with the club’s latest recruit, Loic Remy. Signed on a one year loan from QPR Remy should be just about the club’s highest paid player on around £65,000 per week.

Speaking in his first interview as a Newcastle United player, Remy had the following to say:

“I’m very happy to be a Newcastle player.

“It will be a huge honour to play for such a big club. I was very flattered by the Club’s interest in me back in January and also very happy that they showed interest in me again this summer. The Premier League is the best league in the world and that’s where I want to play. I am very motivated this year to get into the World Cup squad for my country. I know in order to do that I need to have a big season and a successful campaign with Newcastle United.

“I am focussed on helping the team achieve success this season and scoring as many goals as I can.”

Kinnear himself had this to say on the coup:

“The need for us to strengthen up front was a priority and I have been working very hard to secure one of our targets in this position.

“I’m delighted to have secured Loic for the season. Now we have him I’m sure he’ll be a huge success for us; I know he’s hungry for goals and is absolutely committed to helping us achieve success this season.”

And finally, getting back to Pardew, here’s what he had to say on Remy’s arrival:

“Loic is a great player and I’m delighted that Joe has got him on board for us.

“He’ll be a great addition to the squad, he gives us strength and pace up front and I’m sure he’ll bring plenty of goals.

“It’s a big season for Loic, like it is for all our international players ahead of the World Cup, which will only provide extra incentive for him to play at the very top of his game.”

If Gomis comes here now, he can swap being accused of gang rape stories with Remi, as it happened to Gomis too. Gary Jacobs in the Times is saying that this is what really holding the deal up. One of his agents in France is aying that Lyon’s Chairman won’t pay the bonus due to St Etienne on the transfer fee over the gang rape accustions even though Gomis was subsequently cleared. Or somhing like that, roughly. Uncle Joe’s right, it’s really complicated.

I think I would give Downing a miss as well TAE. Jonas had 2 assists last year and Downing is famous for having no goals and no assists in a whole f@cking season. So, we might have 2 non-scoring and non-assisting wingers if we sign him

Gouffran did better in 10 games statistically than the both of them put together in a whole season.

I’d def give Downing a bodyswerve which is a lot more than he can do to opposing players these days – would rather go for Tom Ince or similiar for the money and they would def require a lot less in wages.

Lets face it Downing was vastly over rated in his prime and the fact that Liverpool paid 20 million was more a show of their stupidity rather than any bearing on Downings talent

Good to see someone “through the door” “over the line”.Only a year late as he was told the streets of London were paved with gold and stopped off to fill a couple of bags with dosh.I await the next one “through the door” “over the line” (but not Downing please)Keep up the good work Joe.

So if he starts scoring goals, Do we call him Highic Remy?
Well at least it is a body through the door, To quell “The Hills Have Eyes” mob, Who were ready to lynch Uncle Joseph.

The lad does possess some good skills, And can only help the cause, Although he is a mercenary.
Q.P.R have got the best deal out of this, If they get promoted.
They get 2 million quid, And get him off the wage bill for a season, And could end up with a brand new signing, If they get back up.

Stevep, I’m not so sure about Incey’s young’un.
I have watched him on a few occasions, And he’s “flattered to deceive”,(The old football cliches, Are the best).
I watched him last night, And he had a stinker against North End.
IT was funny when he told his fatha to f**k off!, After he bollocked him for missing a chance.

Stevep, It might just mean he wants to join us, But it’s other parties who sort out the deals, And it’s not down to him.
Their chairman has come out, And said the deal may take most of this week to complete, Because of add on’s etc.

The gossip is that it’s about the 5% sell on fee due to Gomis’s last club, St Etienne. Allegedly, Lyonnais chairman, Jean Michel Aulas won’t pay it because Gomis was accused of gang rape as an Olympique Lyonnais player. He was completely exonerated though.

I have one word to counter Pardew’s 10,000: bullshit. How many times can he give a convoluted explanation followed by “it’s just that simple”?!

If we are to recruit a wide midfielder, I’d prefer somebody right-footed. Downing? JFK & Graham would have to be smoking the good shit to sanction that.

Should Gomis join, I wonder if AP will go 4-3-3 more. We’d have the squad for it with all the CMs & forwards. Or maybe Kinnear prefers that formation…

I’m surprised no higher-profile club swooped on Remy. Again, 26M for Soldado seems a relative waste; I like Aspas but who knows what he’ll do in England; Arsenal are dicking around over Suarez at 40M+ like there are no other players in the world. Strange. Do the rape charges look that bad?

Has it ever struck anyone we may have a decent PL quality striker in young Ferguson, I know his on loan manager thinks so and is glad to have him back.
Yes I know we need a couple of wingers, like a Solano and Robert, otherwise our three decent strikers are going to once again lack being supplied and our oversuply of inside midfielders will undoubtedly complain about lack of playing time.
The simple answer would be to play some out wide, but I just don’t get it why this situation has been allowed to happen.
Time to make some trades, there is always room for improvement and this problem we have with team balance surely has not gone un-noticed.
Seeing we got rid of Simpson, a good backup for Debuchy , what about bringing in Bardsley, should get him for a reasonable price, both he and Simpson are ex MU and competent.
If there is money left Sinclair is a good winger and available (plus home grown) and it would be interesting to see if both Vuckic and Sammy can play on the wing and hopefully Pardew can give them some cameo roles.
There was rumour of Haidara going on loan, dumb idea as the youngster showed signs of becoming a decent player, plus we need the defensive backup.

I wasn’t that impressed by Cabaye’s season following I great start in his first year here, lotta injuries and just didn’t seem to play to expectations, plus the window is still open and may result in a bid for him, which anywhere near the twenty million quid region, I would suggest grabbing it and inturn offer Wigan a deal for McCarthy, the only decent young midfield engine room on the horizon IMO, yeah I know Wigan will not let him go cheap, but that’s every clubs posture who know they have a good young player with a promising future on their books.

Of course we still have the problem of the anchor around our necks, a useless manager who probably couldn’t win anything even with the Brasilnational side.
With a seven year contract yet!
It appears Ashley doesn’t want him , but is too cheap to fire him, I mean who’s idea was it to give this guy an eight year deal, even Mourinho doesn’t get an offer that good, just shows where Ashley’s head is at.
But we live in hope !

At the risk of coming across as ignorant, What happened to Clubs using The Transfer Tribunal System, To get the deals done?
At one time everyone used it, Has it been phased out now?
You very rarely hear of Clubs using it now, I don’t think Ashley would like it too much.

“Has it ever struck anyone we may have a decent PL quality striker in young Ferguson,”

He’s never played as a striker, Chuck, so no, probably not. He isn’t that “young” anymore either, he’s 22, he just looks about 12.

On the subject of wingers in general, ours are all playing on their wrong foot, so of course, they’re more likely to cut in, dribble and catch the defenders on their wrong foot rather than bang in crosses from closer to the touchline. That’s the plan anyway and alot of fancy top managers have used that ploy to good effect in recent years. Players like Ronaldo and Robben play like that often. Pardew isn’t a fancy top manager though, he’s shite and it just isn’t working for us; we have no width and the striker isn’t being fed enough.

Getting back to “young” Ferguson, he was the exception, he played on his ‘right’ left foot on the left hand side, so he looked more like a ‘proper’ winger banging in some crosses from the flank on the few occaisions when he played. Perhaps this is what is behind your fulsome praise of him?

I would say stick Benny back on his ‘right’ left foot (ie on the left side) for a while and Gutierrez on the right. I don’t know, Pardew’s mess just gets me confused and drives me mad. tunyc might have a point that we need one more proper right footed, right sided attacking midfielder / winger so we can go back to basics in the way I have outlined very roughly above.

downing. got to be the worst player we have been linked with.
agree with previous comment sinclar would be a great addition.
surely there’s players we are forgetting? what about a cheeky bid for nani he’s still got alot to prove and rarely plays.

On the subject of QPR migrants, poor Joey Barton. He must be jabbing pins into a voodoo doll of Harry Redknapp and right now. Marseilles, the sun, the Mediterranean, fine food, fine wines, Champions League football, no fans hating him, Marseilles wanted to keep him… But no says ‘Arry, it’s the Championship for you! Wet weekends in places like Doncaster, Barnsley and Bolton, ‘Arry’s ugly mug barking at him, hatred from opposing fans, tabloids following everything he does…

With so much recent focus on strikers I mistakenly used the term to describe Ferguson, I actually meant to say winger.
As for using right footed players on the left wing, yes I have voiced an opinion on that for years, I think it’s a dumb move and as proof I will point out both Santon and Jonas, both failures in that particular role, why ?
Because every right sided defender in the league knows they bring the ball forward then cut to the centre where they either run into traffic or can’t find anyone open, plus the fact they are usually too far out to shoot effectively, nah! don’t buy that tactic.
However Ferguson the few times we have seen him play, can take the ball to the line and has been one of our only real suppliers too our forwards, but hey what do I know ?

Out of the three strikers we have recently been associated with, I think last seasons refusenik Remy would be my choice, don’t want Bent and actually think he is no more than a red herring in order to bring the other two in.
And those who have called Remy both a rapist and and only interested in money, grow up, as far is I recall one is innocent until proven guilty and even then they sometimes get it wrong, as for interested in money, that’s the one thing all players have in common.
And they will (all three strikers) get their goals, that’s if unlike last season the get supplied, but I don’t see it happening with the limitations of our manager, that’s tactically of course.
And I will end up by repeating my mantra, that unless Ashley wises up and hires both a money GM and a decent manager familiar with the modern game and gets off their backs and gives them the freedom to run the club , as he has proven to be a failure in his attempts over the last five or six years, but I doubt if he will admit to it and we may be in store for more of the same..
Ah well, his club , his money !

Downing ? The guy has had a decent career, but never really lived up to expectations.
His profile doesn’t fit the sell on possibility that appears to be part of our owners policy but for around five million would be a deal for some club.

Oh ! Anyone notice Mourinho’s praise of Rodgers when talking about the possibility of at least six sides being able to win the league, the reason I mention it as there seems to be a lack of any enthusiasm for his abilities in this blog, why I don’t know?

Looks like this season could be the acid test for our supposed up and comers, Sammy , Vuckic, I think Bigirimana has probably been accepted as a squad player, most of the others are out on loan (someone else paying their wages) which apart from inside midfielders where we have a surplus just about covers the inevitable injury problems.
When these youngsters, Abeid, Ferguson, etc. reach a certain age, a decision should be made as to whether they are good enough to become squad members or give them the option of finding a club that can use them.

worky @ 27: sure, but Aulas has made clear he has to sell him rather than lose him for nothing, so that’s moot. The only sure way to avoid paying the fee would be to let him leave on a free-obviously counterproductive. So I’m thinking he must have some interpretation of the contract or the law that lets him think he can get away with not honoring that clause. That or the suggested explanation is, how to say it, hokum.

biff @ 32: Nani would walk into our first XI if we’re honest. He’s not worth the wages he’ll want though, not for us.

I’d consider using Santon as a wide midfielder on the right side if Haidara looks like he can handle the league. Wor Davide looks a defensive liability to me anyhow.

We have a bunch of Andy Gray wannabe commentators here in the USA – the Scottish “passion” types. Even Andy got a bit boring when he was using the same impassioned high pitched yell for a corner as for a goal though.

I am sick of hearing all these Scotch tw@ts commentate now. Did they even play football in Scotland after Dalglish?

I don’t think any of us actually saw it, Phisix, but our best 11 drew with a second tier Scottish side and we only equalised with the last kick of the game. The text updates from the game on the nufc website was gushing about Gutierrez though. It sounded like he was the man of the match on our side.

This Gomis deal is becoming what Churchill would have called a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. If I was Uncle Joe, I would start moving towards the the exit whilst making my excuses, then get on with chasing another player.

Gushing about Gutierez , eh!
He’s about the most unproductive winger I have ever seen, scored about two goals in the last six years and put in two crosses, runs his ass off and hits the deck whenever touched.
I once thought he could make a good defensive midfielder, but I was wrong, nor can he play as a defender, perhaps he should give him a goalie jersey, who knows, I don’t know what else we can do with this guy.
Yet our supremo gives him plenty of playing time, well that figures…
I give up.

“Jonas Gutierrez does well on the left wing to make space for a cross…

“More good, direct play from Gutierrez sees him leave his marker for dead and his dangerous cross is deflected behind for a corner…

“Gutierrez looks keen to impress tonight and after he links up well with Davide Santon…

“Debuchy pings a lovely ball out to Gutierrez who takes it beautifully on his chest and then slightly overhits his slide-rule pass towards Cisse. The striker almost gets there anyway but the Rangers keeper just beats him to it…

“Once again, Gutierrez is Newcastle’s outlet as he stands up a cross from the left which Cisse heads back across goal but fails to get enough purchase to take it past Bell. One positive so far has been Gutierrez’s display – he’s been at the heart of so many of United’s attacks…

“Gutierrez leaves McAusland and Peralta trailing in his wake with a fine run to take him into the box – but then the Argentine falls over…

Don’t tell me Joe is doing the negotiating ?
Probably about the agents dosh, they have to make a buck too, nickel and dime shit compared to some of the offers flying around, ether do the deal or go for someone else, or give Gouffran a shot at playing behind the striker.
Actually I thought Shola played pretty good in that role and surprised the hell outta me with some perfectly weighted passes, I mean are we going to play with both Remy and Gomis to-gether up front, don’t know if that’s a great idea, prefer one playing deep with the other behind.
Understand Gomis has a turn of pace and tends to break past his covering guy, at least that’s what Waddle was claiming.
Let’s see now with the present squad, if we are placed below the tenth spot in the league by christmas

What’s the story on Obertan, we’re we not supposed to be sending back across Le Manche , as he just can’t cut it in the PL, strange really, he has great pace, decent technical ability, but no footballing brain.
I hear HBA looks like he could shed a few pounds again, he was way over weight when he finally got a game last year, I guess that big lass will be on his ass, the ex English rugby trainer, looks pretty tough to me.
When I see Sissoko he reminds me of a Patrick Viers and could probably become one for the club, if we had an insightfully manager or coaches .
I expect a lot from Yanga M’Biwa this coming season , he showed a lot of promise both in the CD and LB roles and young Bigirimana looked every bit as good as Tiote.